A reporter, a pilot and one person on the ground were killed when a Los Angeles TV news helicopter crashed between two commercial buildings in Chatsworth on Tuesday evening. The National Transportation Safety Board says the live video feed from inside the chopper is now the focus of its investigation.
NTSB investigator-in-charge Fabian Salazar told reporters Wednesday that the cockpit recording from NBC Los Angeles reporter Eliana Moreno and her pilot George Marciniw “is probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far.” The footage shows the helicopter shaking as alarms begin to sound. Then it falls, and a voice asks, “You can’t pull up?” before the feed is cut off.
Salazar said investigators will send a pristine copy of the recording to the board’s recorder’s lab for a sound spectrum analysis. In that audio, he said, “we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed.”
What the cockpit video shows
The final moments of the broadcast from inside the chopper are the key evidence investigators have so far. Salazar described the recording in detail during Wednesday’s briefing.
“What we are going to do is get a pristine copy of that recording and send it to our recorder’s lab for a sound spectrum analysis, because in that recording, we are clearly hearing sounds that are consistent with the engine changing its speed,” he said. “We’re also hearing tones that are being generated that are likely advisories to the pilots.”
The NTSB’s interest in the audio is technical. Sound spectrum analysis can reveal patterns in the engine’s operation that might not be visible on camera. Tones heard in the recording are likely warnings or alerts meant for the pilots.
The victims of the crash
Moreno, Marciniw and Edy Gutierrez Mejia, 29, were all killed in the crash. A fourth person was taken to a hospital, officials said.
NBC Los Angeles said Moreno and Marciniw “logged hundreds of hours together in the sky” on stories including the January 2025 wildfires.
The other helicopters in the sky
Several news choppers were in the area at the time, covering a deadly collision between a Metro bus and an SUV that unfolded about two hours earlier. The bus and SUV crash left two people dead and several others injured, authorities said.
The legal case against the SUV driver
The SUV driver, Bailee Lynn Rios, is being held on suspicion of murder for her alleged role in the bus crash, according to police. Charges have not yet been filed, and the case remains unresolved.
The timing of the investigation
The NTSB said it will release its preliminary report on the chopper crash in 30 days. A final report with a cause could take up to 18 months.
| Event | Date / Time |
|---|---|
| Crash | Tuesday evening |
| NTSB briefing | Wednesday |
| Preliminary report | 30 days |
| Final report | Up to 18 months |
What the cockpit audio might tell investigators
The engine sounds heard in the recording are the most promising lead investigators have identified so far. Salazar said the audio shows the engine changing its speed.
The tones heard in the recording are likely advisories to the pilots. Investigators will analyze the audio for patterns that match known engine characteristics and warning tones.
The question of whether the pilot could pull up
The question asked in the cockpit video — “You can’t pull up?” — is a simple one with a heavy weight. It suggests the helicopter was falling, and the pilot or reporter was asking whether the situation could be corrected.
The NTSB will examine the circumstances around that moment as part of its work. The audio could provide context for what the crew was hearing and seeing in the seconds before impact.
The public response
A vigil will be held in Chatsworth on Thursday evening, according to NBC Los Angeles. The event is a chance for the community to mourn the three people killed in the crash.
What the NTSB has said publicly
Salazar’s remarks on Wednesday were the most detailed public statement from the NTSB so far. He described the cockpit video as the most important evidence investigators have found.
The board’s work is just beginning. The preliminary report will be released in 30 days, and the full investigation could take up to 18 months. That timeline means answers are still a long way off.
The human cost of the crash
Moreno and Marciniw were a reporting team that worked together for years. NBC Los Angeles said they logged hundreds of hours together in the sky.
Gutierrez Mejia, 29, was one of the people on the ground killed in the crash.
What comes next
The NTSB’s focus on the cockpit video is a practical decision. It is the closest record of what happened inside the chopper in its final moments.
The sound spectrum analysis will be conducted at the recorder’s lab. Investigators will also look at the visual evidence from the video to see if it matches what the audio suggests.
The 18-month timeline for a final report means this investigation will run for a long time. The NTSB has made clear that the cockpit video is the most important evidence it has found so far.
That is the story of the crash so far. The video is the evidence investigators are chasing, and the questions it raises are the ones they will spend the next year answering.
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